Conventional operating systems frequently confuse inexperienced users because conventional operating systems are not well suited to the needs of most users. For example, conventional operating systems utilize separate applications which require file and format translations. In addition, conventional operating systems require the user to invent pointless names for files and to construct organizational hierarchies that quickly become obsolete. Named files are an invention of the 1950's and the hierarchical directories are an invention of 1960's.
Some conventional operating systems employ a "desktop metaphor" which attempts to simplify common file operations by presenting the operations in the familiar language of the paper-based world, that is, paper documents as files, folders as directories, a trashcan for deletion, etc. Also, the paper-based model is a rather poor basis for organizing information where the state of the art is still a messy desktop and where one's choices in creating new information paradigms is constrained [1].
Thus, conventional operating systems suffer from at least the following disadvantages: (1) a file must be "named" when created and often a location in which to store the file must be indicated resulting in unneeded overhead; (2) users are required to store new information in fixed categories, that is directories or subdirectories, which are often an inadequate organizing device; (3) archiving is not automatic; (4) little support for "reminding" functions are provided; (5) accessibility and compatibility across data platforms is not provided and (6) the historical context of a document is lost because no tracking of where, why and how a document evolves is performed. "Naming" a file when created and choosing a location in which to place the file is unneeded overhead: when a person grabs a piece of paper and starts writing, no one demands that a name be bestowed on the sheet or that a storage location be found. Online, many filenames are not only pointless but useless for retrieval purposes. Storage locations are effective only as long as the user remembers them.
Data archiving is an area where conventional electronic systems perform poorly compared to paper-based systems. Paper-based systems are first and foremost archiving systems, yet data archiving is difficult in conventional desktop systems. Often, users throw out old data rather than undertaking the task of archiving and remembering how to get the data back. If archiving and retrieval of documents is convenient, old information could be reused more often.
Reminding is a critical function of computer-based systems [2] [3], yet current systems supply little or no support for this function. Users are forced either to use location on their graphical desktops as reminding cues or to use add-on applications such as calendar managers.
A solution to these disadvantages is to use a document stream operating system. One such system is outlined in a 1994 article [4]. However, this article fails to address many of the disadvantages of conventional operating systems.